A collaborative agreement has been signed between the province and Lake Babine Nation.
According to the province, this agreement will advance reconciliation, social and community wellbeing and regional economic growth under environmental assessment legislation.
A news release added that the agreement is an important step in shared decision making between B.C and Lake Babine Nation.
The release also said it described how the Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) and Lake Babine Nation will work together on future environmental assessments for projects in the Nation’s territory.
It will highlight the Nation’s assessment criteria for proposed projects which will allow proponents to understand what the nation expects of projects proposed for its territory.
According to the province, this agreement is the first to be signed under the Environmental Assessment Act.
It established a key shared decision making precedent for the province and is also considered an important step in advancing the EAO.
The agreement marks the completion of a key step toward a consent agreement, which is a milestone in the Lake Babine Nation Foundation Agreement signed by the nation, B.C and Canada in September 2020.